Percutaneous injuries and accidental blood exposure in surgical residents: Awareness and use of prophylaxis in relation to HIV

Objective: To determine the occurrence of percutaneous injuries (PI) and accidental exposure to patients' blood (AEPB) in surgical residents in Enugu, Nigeria, their awareness of universal precautions (UP), and use of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). Materials and Methods: Self-administered semi-structured pre-tested questionnaires were administered to 230 consenting trainee surgeons. Results: The rate of exposure to PI/ABE was 67.5%. The number of exposures ranged from 1 to 5 with a mean of 1.9 +/- 0.99. Senior registrars had the highest rate of exposure (76.9%). In 89 exposures (63.6%) needle-prick injuries were reported. Adequate knowledge of the UP and PEP to HIV virus was only 41%. In most cases (72.1%) respondents subsequently disregarded the exposure. Conclusion: The high rate of exposure to PI/ABE, inadequate knowledge and poor practice of UP/PEP seen in this study underscore the need for creating high level of awareness about UP/PEP, the development of clear institutional guideline and the provision of adequate materials and supervision to ensure adherence with the guideline. The practice of UP and PEP in PI and AEPB are life saving and should be emphasized in residency training.